Aston Villa Owner Assures Fans Club Is Not For Sale

League Championship side Aston Villa Owner Tony Xia told supporters that the club is "not up for sale but would consider minority investment," according to the BBC. In an open letter to fans, Xia also said that Manager Steve Bruce would "remain in charge" at Villa Park. However, the Chinese businessman added that the club must sell players to reduce costs after it "missed out on promotion to the Premier League." Xia: "Losing out on promotion was a disappointment to us all. Not least you, the fans, whose support took us to the brink of promotion. For the avoidance of doubt, I remain a proud and committed owner of this football club and with that accept and embrace the responsibilities to the fans, players and staff" (BBC, 7/6).